Miscellaneous

📍 Designed by Joyce Wang Studio, Genso restaurant in Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse echoes Tokyo's Golden Gai, known for its narrow alleyways and small eateries. Established in 1978, the racecourse caters to horse race enthusiasts. Genso, a two-floor establishment, serves Japanese cuisine, featuring retro-inspired interiors with stairs, platforms, bridges, and walkways. The entrance showcases an inky-blue stained timber desk with a pixelated, manga-style tiled counter, capturing a sense of timelessness.

📄 Thursday afternoon, a visit to the U.S. Consulate General in Juarez revealed a lengthy, arduous process for many seeking citizenship. Thousands waited, with families holding hopes and documents. By Friday morning, an hour and a half later, Benjamin's citizenship was confirmed, contrasting with multiyear waits for others. Preparation and prior experience helped avoid complications experienced by others, like a family who faced DNA tests and jail earlier this year. This journey emphasizes the stark contrasts in immigration experiences.

🏨 Bonnie Campagnuolo, Global Brand Head at Embassy Suites by Hilton, discussed with Glenn Haussman the brand's success in the all-suites category. The conversation took place on the rooftop of the Asheville property. The brand's "kit of parts" offers developers extensive flexibility, enabling them to build properties with 150 keys or more to suit varying project needs.

🏠 Wood framing is cost-effective, easily built, and insulates well, but it can rot, burn, and warp. Steel framing, including light-gauge and structural steel, offers longevity and strength but is more expensive and requires specialized crews. Steel avoids wood's downsides but poses challenges like thermal bridging. Weather, permitting, and insurance affect material choice. Steel is favorable in fire-prone areas. Choose wisely considering climate and local regulations to avoid costly site adjustments.

🏢 In San Sebastian, Spain, architecture studio Ortega Diago revamped part of a warehouse into a changing facility for over 100 factory workers. Completed by Gonzalo Sánchez Ortega and Armando Diago, the redesign maximizes natural light with freestanding walls. The facility, serving a mobility technology company, includes male and female areas. Satin-finished stainless steel lockers were installed. The challenge was managing high traffic in a long corridor, with access at only one end.

📈 Sarah Becherer, SVP of Marketing at Ocra, and James Hansen discussed Ocra's business model. Ocra repurposes vacant hotel parking lots into revenue-generating spaces, optimizing unused areas. Craig and Glenn were part of the conversation. The focus was on transforming idle properties to enhance financial returns, highlighting innovation in urban space utilization.

📖 Snarkitecture's installation "THE PLAYGROUND" is at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC until August 30, featuring nine play zones including a slide and a climbing wall. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding had over 1,000 guests at Madison Square Garden on July 1, with a menu of chicken, lobster, and 30 cakes. Jim Henson's Creature Shop in New York now offers weekend tours. BDNY 2026 will be held at Jacob K. Javits Center, New York, from November 8-9.

⚽ England's World Cup journey boosts sales: On Wednesday, 1 July, sales in managed venues surged by 62.4% year-on-year during England's knockout match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was followed by a 37.4% increase on Sunday, 5 July, before England's last-16 match with Mexico, as fans flocked to pubs and bars. The data comes from NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker powered by CGA intelligence.

🏖 Eleven UK holiday parks with over 2,500 caravan pitches and a £41.4m turnover in 2025 are on the market. Formerly part of the Cove group, they employ 450 people. Eight parks are in west Scotland, including Hunters Quay, acquired in 2022. The total potential capacity is 3,130 pitches. Colliers is marketing the portfolio, which shows positive trading prospects for 2026 despite 2024-2025 challenges. Offers can be made for shares or assets.

🍴 Peridot in Hong Kong, designed by Studio Paolo Ferrari, features 20,000 steel-capped frosted acrylic cylinders and a green marble bar. Limusina in New York showcases 1980s-inspired maximalism with a clandestine 12-person dining room. Motorino in London, designed by North End Design, seats 150 with a 1970s recording studio-inspired private room. Genso in Hong Kong, at Sha Tin Racecourse, combines Japanese street food with retrofuturism. Olia + Mimi in Edmonton spans 8,500 square feet, featuring dual concepts: an Italian eatery and a cocktail lounge.